I applied to the PhD programme in October-November through an advert on Nature. I sent my CV and a cover letter explaining why I was applying for the programme, where I also had to choose which field or group I was inclined for. I was invited to come to the interview which was held in early March. Before the interview I was told to prepare a two slides presentation. On the first slide, I had to summarise a Science paper in bullet points, while on the second paper I had to critically analyse the paper and suggest what I would have had done differently and how would I take the research from there. I also had to prepare a brief talk about the type of research I had been doing before my PhD. At the interview I was also asked to talk about a recent general science paper that had caught my attention and also describe where I would see myself in the next 5 years. The interviews were conducted in front of a panel of 5 people (group leaders, including the director). They took place after talks from the director and the chair of graduate studies and after been shown around the institute. As for accommodation, they pay for you to stay the night before on a bed and breakfast as the interview process starts at 9am the next day. They also reimburse your travel expenses (so remember to fill in the claim forms!)